State v. Robinson

846 So. 2d 76, 2003 WL 1826302
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 8, 2003
Docket02-KA-1253
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 846 So. 2d 76 (State v. Robinson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Robinson, 846 So. 2d 76, 2003 WL 1826302 (La. Ct. App. 2003).

Opinion

846 So.2d 76 (2003)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Anthony ROBINSON.

No. 02-KA-1253.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fifth Circuit.

April 8, 2003.

*79 Paul D. Connick, Jr., District Attorney, Alan D. Alario, II, Terry M. Boudreaux, Assistant District Attorneys, 24th Judicial District Parish of Jefferson, Gretna, LA, for Plaintiff/Appellee.

Margaret S. Sollars, Thibodaux, LA, for Defendant-Appellant.

Anthony Robinson, Angola, LA, in Proper Person.

Panel composed of Judges JAMES L. CANNELLA, THOMAS F. DALEY, and CLARENCE E. McMANUS.

THOMAS F. DALEY, Judge.

Defendant, Anthony Robinson, appeals his conviction of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, a violation of LSA-R.S. 40:967(A). On appeal, he assigns the following four errors of the trial court:

1. The evidence was insufficient to support this conviction;

2. The Court committed reversible error by not allowing the defendant to fully impeach the arresting officer with his initial report, nor to let it be published before the jury;

3. Evidence presented by the State in the multiple offender hearing was inadequate;

4. Mr. Robinson was sentenced excessively, particularly when the Court failed to articulate any reasons for such a harsh sentence.

We affirm Mr. Robinson's conviction and sentence.

FACTS

Officer LaBroussa of the Kenner Police Department testified that he was on routine patrol in the 1000 block of 31st Street in Kenner on the night of October 25, 2000, when he observed the defendant driving a Cadillac headed east on the same street. The defendant was not wearing a seatbelt and his vehicle's license plate was not illuminated. Officer LaBroussa attempted to effectuate a vehicle stop. The officer sounded his siren and turned on his unit's overhead lights, but the driver of the Cadillac refused to stop and accelerated to 45 mph in a 20 mph speed zone. As Officer LaBroussa pursued the vehicle, it slowed down for the driver to turn the corner. It was at this time, according to the officer, that a plastic bag was discarded from the passenger side window. The vehicle stopped when another patrol unit blocked its path. The defendant and a female passenger, later identified as Shirley Ramsey, *80 were detained.[1] Officer LaBroussa recovered the discarded plastic bag, which appeared to contain rock cocaine. The substance field tested positive for cocaine. The defendant and Ms. Ramsey were arrested. Officer LaBroussa wrote a report of the incident.

The State also presented the testimony of Officer Bruce Harrison as an expert in the factors that constitute distribution of narcotics. The defendant presented no witnesses.

ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NUMBER ONE

Defendant contends that the evidence presented by the State was insufficient to convict him of the charged offense.

When the defendant challenges sufficiency of the evidence, this Court must decide whether, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found that the State proved the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.[2] In applying this standard, the reviewing court will not assess credibility nor reweigh the evidence.[3] In the absence of internal contradiction or irreconcilable conflict with physical evidence, one witness's testimony, if believed by the trier of fact, is sufficient support for a requisite factual finding.[4]

Circumstantial evidence consists of proof of collateral facts and circumstances from which the existence of the main fact may be inferred according to reason and common experience.[5] In cases involving circumstantial evidence, the trial judge must instruct the jurors that the evidence must exclude every reasonable hypothesis of innocence.[6] Ultimately, all evidence, both direct and circumstantial, must be sufficient to support the conclusion that the defendant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.[7]

In this case the defendant was charged with possession with the intent to distribute cocaine. To prove possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, the State must show the defendant knowingly or intentionally possessed the drugs and he did so with the specific intent to distribute them.[8] Specific intent is "that state of mind which exists when the circumstances indicate that the offender actively desired the prescribed criminal consequences to follow his act or failure to act."[9] Specific intent may be inferred from the circumstances *81 of a transaction and from the actions of the accused. Further, specific intent is a legal conclusion to be resolved by the fact-finder.[10]

The intent to distribute may be established by proving circumstances surrounding defendant's possession which gave rise to an inference of such intent. Such circumstances include (1) previous attempts to distribute; (2) whether the drugs are in a form consistent with distribution; (3) the amount of the drugs; (4) expert testimony indicating the amount of the drugs recovered is not consistent with personal use; and (5) paraphernalia evidencing an intent to distribute.[11]

Defendant argues that the State failed to prove he knew the drugs were in the car or that he exercised control over them, elements essential to establish "possession." He argues that no direct evidence was presented at trial and the circumstantial evidence was insufficient, because the sole fact witness was not credible.[12] Additionally he alleges that the only indication of possible guilty knowledge was his flight from officers and this could reasonably be explained as his attempt to avoid a traffic citation. Defendant suggests as a hypothesis of his innocence that Ms. Ramsey possessed the cocaine in the car and she discarded it from her window.

The State presented the testimony of Officer LaBroussa to prove its case regarding the element of "possession." Officer LaBroussa testified that he observed the actions of the defendant before and after the contraband was discarded. He testified that at times during this incident, he was able to observe the occupants of defendant's vehicle through the driver and passenger side windows. He stated that before the disposal of the narcotics, the defendant fled upon becoming aware of the officer's presence.[13] Officer LaBroussa said that during the chase, the defendant would look in the rearview mirror and then look downward inside the vehicle. He further testified that although he did not see the defendant's hand protrude from the window when the drugs were discarded from the passenger window, he did observe the defendant "fidgeting, turning his upper torso and reaching across to the passenger side window immediately before the drugs were abandoned." Additionally, the officer testified that during this time, the passenger did not turn her body, but merely remained facing forward in her seat. According to Officer LaBroussa, the defendant continued to flee until he was stopped by another police unit, which blocked his path. Officer LaBroussa testified that because of defendant's actions, he was of the opinion that the defendant discarded the drugs.

The jury apparently believed the testimony of the officer who witnessed this incident and they concluded that the defendant's actions shortly before and after the abandonment of the drugs indicated that he, and not Ms. Ramsey, physically possessed the cocaine that was discarded *82 from the vehicle.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
846 So. 2d 76, 2003 WL 1826302, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-robinson-lactapp-2003.